Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Testosterone Replacement Therapy Found Safe For Men With Heart Disease
AP: Popular 'Low T' Treatment Is Safe For Men With Heart Disease, But Doctors Warn It's No Youth Serum
Testosterone replacement therapy is safe for men with “low T” who have heart disease or are at high risk for it, a new study suggests. But doctors warn the popular treatment is no “anti-aging tonic.” The research, published Friday in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that heart attacks, strokes and other major cardiac issues were no more common among those using testosterone gel than those using a placebo. (Ungar, 6/16)
In other pharmaceutical news —
The Wall Street Journal: Drug Shortages Stem From Quality Problems In Indian Factories
Shoddy conditions at factories in India have sickened Americans and stoked a shortage in chemotherapy drugs for cancer patients, raising calls to make the generic-drug supply more resilient. (Mosbergen and Abbott, 6/19)
Stat: Opaque Conflicts Of Interest Permeate Prescription Drug Benefits
Employers across the country — from big names like Boeing and UPS to local school systems — pay consulting firms to handle a straightforward task with their prescription drug coverage: Get the best deals possible, and make sure the industry’s middlemen, known as pharmacy benefit managers, aren’t ripping them off with unfair contracts. But a largely hidden flow of money between major consulting conglomerates and PBMs compromises that relationship, a STAT investigation shows. (Herman, 6/20)
Stat: Trade Group Scolds Drugmaker For 'Unethical' Attempt To Gain Info About Rival Product
In a notable move, a U.K. trade group has rebuked Leo Pharma for a “serious and extremely concerning” violation of voluntary codes after learning a company manager coerced staff into gaining competitive information. And by doing so, the drugmaker discredited and lowered confidence in the pharmaceutical industry. (Silverman, 6/16)
